Indian Lake Mission Cemetery in Manistique, Michigan

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Get directions Arrowhead Road
Manistique, Michigan 49854 United States

Coordinates: 45.99482, -86.29362
Cemetery ID:

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About these numbers These percentages indicate the number of Find a Grave memorials that have a grave photo or GPS coordinates. We don't know the total number of burials in a cemetery, so we cannot calculate a percentage of those with memorials, photos or GPS coordinates.

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"Indian Lake is the site of Bishop Baraga's first mission in upper Michigan. Leaving Cross Village, south of the straits, he canoed across Lake Michigan toward the Manistique area in 1832....The site also contains an Indian burial ground which contains the remains of Chief Ossawinamakee, his son, and other tribal members. The burial ground was built near the water facing west and a path from the water's edge was always kept clear. The Indians were also buried facing west. Upon the death of an Indian, the body was wrapped in a very heavy birch bark, tied with basswood cord, and then placed in a shallow grave over which was placed the "Spirit House." The houses varied in size and shape. A "Totem Stick" identified the deceased and gave any passerby pertinent information about the person. Because it was believed that the four-day journey to the " Land of Ponemah " was filled with peace and plenty, sufficient food and drink were placed in the spirit house along with the body of the deceased person's dog or some other friendly animal" (http://www.bishopbaraga.org/baragasites.htm).